It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...and in both cases it came right back down to the importance of staying in the moment.
I just finished up an 11 mile run. Officially it was called "Clover 9" - awesome catchy little title (thanks Coach, I love these little fun things). Basically, it's 3 x 3 mile out&backs, with negative splits at increasing paces. First leg is warmup, all steady. Second leg is steady out, marathon pace back. Third leg is steady out, half marathon pace back. And then I finished off the prescribed time with steady/recovery running, giving me almost 11 miles total in the 90 minute workout. It was seriously one of the best runs I have ever had. I don't remember the last time I felt this good after running 11 miles. And at a pretty good pace, for me anyway.
Compare and contrast to a week ago, where I did a 5+ hour ride with April and Rich. Sure, the first 3 hours I felt GREAT. But oh Katie Girl, you were still over reaching on the target heart rate. And so, the last two hours were a slog. And the last hour was just AWFUL. I really wanted to just quit. Thank God April and Rich were patient, and though I rode alone most of the last two hours, they were always just a little ahead of me, and even circled back about 10 minutes from the end. But I stuck with it, and pushed through, despite wanting to throw in the proverbial towel. (although happy to report I did push through and have a relatively decent brick run after that thanks to Rich).
So what do these two workouts have in common? Why am I putting two completely different workouts side by side for comparison? Here's what the common thread is: It's All Mental. Yep. You've heard it before - 90% of Ironman is in your mind. And it's true. Repeat after me: It's all mental. Both of these workouts were about staying in the moment and training your mind. They ended up on either end of the spectrum in terms of how I'd rate them feeling-wise, but they each reinforced that message, and together are just dynamite. On the one hand, to finish that ride, I had to just own it as a mental training day and push through, and every time I started to flag or give up, especially when I thought about how much longer there was to go, just will my mind to stay on the current moment and keep the pedals turning. And that is a workout I will be able to go back to as I struggle through the longer workouts to come and through racing. On the other hand, today's workout reinforced the idea of staying in the moment by chunking up the workout into such small bite-sized pieces, with a clear focus on each little bit, that I couldn't help but stay in the moment. All my focus was on achieving this moment's goal, which in today's case was a very specific heart rate. And as I went out for the 3rd leg, it dawned on me that the workout was going by so quickly because I wasn't focused on the fact that it was a long run. And I know for sure that if it had just been a single out & back, I wouldn't have felt the same way before today's lesson, because I would have been projecting out for the whole distance.
The importance here is the lesson. Don't project. Stay in the moment. Do I have to do all my workouts in 3 mile out and backs...of course not. All I have to do now is recall the lesson of today, and think about the workout in a different way. I've always had this as my mantra in racing, but it is so great to occasionally have such a clear reminder on how important it is. As we go through the long hours of Ironman training, it sometimes gets lost. Thanks for the concrete reminder today Coach.
And here was the icing on my running cake today: As I went back out for my 4th loop warm-down after the official 9 were done, I passed this guy for the third time. This time he was on his way back in as I was heading out. I'd already passed him twice on my 3rd clover leaf. As I passed him for the 4th time, he called out to me and asked if he could run in with me. (thankfully I had kinda looked over and smiled as I passed or I'd never have "heard" him over my tunes). I said Sure! and we ran in. Chatted a bit about running, racing, work. He was doing 3 miles that day, and clearly struggling. When we reached the end he looked at his watch and said, 'thanks, you got me to 3'. Man did that feel good!! Kinda made my day to help a fellow runner like that, and I am pretty sure it made his too. Now that's what I call a lucky Four Leaf Clover!
Please support my CCFA Fundraising Efforts for Ironman Chattanooga:
http://www.active.com/donate/IMchattanoogaCCFA14/IRONMANKFergus
Remember, it's tax deductible, and every donation helps, no matter how small! Thank you!
Get out there and stay in the moment people. Happy Training!
Kat
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Go Tell Someone You Love Them
Really. Go. Right now. I'll wait.
(Insert waiting music) ... No I'm not kidding. Do it. You'll thank me later.
This has been a hell of a week. One of those weeks that makes you realize how fleeting life is, and how important it is to really cherish the truly important aspects of life. Like telling the people you love that you love them. And showing them in the everyday moments that we are blessed to share with each other.
Last weekend Frank Guinn, a Dynamo teammate, and local Atlanta firefighter, was killed while on a training ride for NOLA70.3. He left behind a loving wife and triplet 7-yr old daughters. His brother-in-law Andrew Powell (AP), was critically injured and sent to hospital for multiple surgeries; he now faces a long recovery road. I didn't actually know Frank, but as a fellow triathlete, I felt his loss on a personal level, and that was amplified when I found out he was a Dynamo athlete. It has surprised me how deeply I have felt about it this week. I think it's in part because it's just so senseless. I think about his girls losing their Dad, and it just tears me up. One of the things I love so much about our triathlon community is how loving and supportive you all are. We all compete for ourselves, but there is so much support and caring in he midst of all that, because we truly know that the only thing that matters is PEOPLE. (It's the same reason I love my job so much). If you haven't already, please consider donating to these families:
Guinn Family: http://www.gofundme.com/89mhhs
Andrew Powell: http://www.gofundme.com/89yriw
Also last weekend, my dear friend Myra lost her son to an unknown illness. He was Kayla's age. My heart breaks thinking about what she is enduring right now. And my new friend Carmen and her two girls were hit by a car last weekend. Thankfully they are ok.
Last Sunday, which happened to be my 46th birthday, I just didn't want to go out and train. But I did because I can. I did it for Frank, and AP, and to express the best way I can, my gratitude for being able to do this thing called Ironman. And it was a tough rough workout...worst of the season so far. But that is just affirmation itself I guess.
And then I got on a plane for work. I did get to have birthday dinner with my Mum and Dad, so that was my silver lining. That along with the fact that I can go out there and ride and run, even if it turns out to be a hard workout.
To all the people who mean so much to me, I love you all. I do my best to tell each of you I love you, so I think you know who you are. Even if we haven't talked in a long time. Thanks for making my life meaningful. I appreciate each and every one of you.
And if you have a few dollars leftover after donating to these families, please consider contributing to my Ironman Chattanooga efforts to raise money for CCFA:
Get out there and train. Don't text and drive. And PLEASE share the road.
Happy training,
Kat
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